New West Ham striker Victor Obinna hopes he can make an instant impact at Upton Park as he prepares for a daunting Barclays Premier League debut against Chelsea.

The two teams occupy each end of the table, with Chelsea top having won all three of their opening games and Avram Grant’s men bottom, failing to pick up a point so far this season.

Full Time Result betting for Saturday’s clash has Chelsea fancied at 1.33 to continue their perfect record, West Ham are 10.00 to pull off a shock while the draw can be backed at 5.00.

Grant will be hopeful Obinna can add some venom to an attack which has failed to score from open play this term, their only goal having come from a penalty.

The Nigeria striker told West Ham’s website: “I have been working hard.

“It has been very tough and I am preparing for the games coming ahead. I would like to be involved against Chelsea if the manager decides. I believe it is going to be one of the toughest games we have played this season.

“Why can’t we do something against Chelsea? Everything is possible in football.”

Victor Obinna can be backed at 4.33 to score at anytime against Chelsea on Saturday.

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Newport-born Stoke manager Tony Pulis insists he would jump at the chance to manage Wales but feels it is too early in his career to consider the role at present.

Current Wales boss John Toshack is expected to announce his resignation, after six years in charge, at a press conference later today following their 1-0 opening Euro 2012 defeat to Montenegro last week.

Pulis is a proud Welshman and would be honoured to manage his country – but he has another priority at the moment, making Stoke an established Barclays Premier League club.

Stoke have endured a tough start to the season, losing their three opening games. But Pulis had a busy transfer deadline day, bringing in a number of fresh faces who will be hoping to make an immediate impact in the home clash against Aston Villa on Monday.

Full Time Result betting has Stoke at 2.50 to get the win while Villa, who recently appointed Gerard Houllier as their new manager, can be backed at 2.87 with the draw 3.25.

“It is worth it? One day, if someone offered me the job it would be a great honour to manage my country, just as it would be for any Englishman,” said 52-year-old Pulis.

“I think if you asked Harry Redknapp now ‘Would you manage England?’ it would be very difficult for him to turn it down – they have to pick someone so why not Harry?

“But to work in such an intense situation as a manager of a Premier League club, where every day there are new things to do, and then to take it away from you at the age I am I’m not sure it is for me.

“I think John Toshack has done a smashing job in respect of bringing young players through.

“A lot of good young players have been integrated and they now have quite a bit of experience at international level so there will be a time when someone will slip into that job and it will be a good job.

“Whoever takes over there are some good players in Wales and if you can get a good start and a few results the confidence will come back.”

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Manchester City new boy Mario Balotelli has been ruled out for “up to six weeks” after the Premier League club revealed he is to undergo knee surgery.

The high-profile striker, signed from Serie A club Inter Milan in the summer, has been suffering with the injury recently and it has been decided he will go under the knife in a bid to cure the problem.

The Italy international has returned to Milan as City confirmed the injury to his lateral meniscus. They had hoped to avoid surgery but after his recovery suffered an initial set-back, an operation became necessary.

A statement on mcfc.co.uk said: “The Italian’s injury is to the lateral meniscus, one of the two most crucial structures in the knee, and medical wisdom is to try and encourage the problem to heal without recourse to an operation.

“It was hoped that the symptoms would settle down but once Balotelli began to step up his recovery programme this week, it became clear that action would need to be taken.”

Balotelli is set to miss key matches against Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League and Juventus in the Europa League but could return for the visit of Arsenal on 24th October.

City’s next Premier League engagement sees them take on Blackburn at home on Saturday 11th September. The Blues are currently 1.33 to get the win, while Blackburn can be backed at 10.00 with the 90 minutes draw available at 5.00.

Don’t forget, all Premier League matches are covered by the bet365 100% Euro Soccer Bonus, where you could earn a bonus of up to 100% on your returns on pre-match accumulator bets.

Manchester City can also be backed at 9.00 to win the Barclays Premier League 2010/11 outright, while it’s 1.53 for the Eastlands outfit to finish in the coveted top four.

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Gerard Houllier has spoken of his delight in taking on the “tremendous challenge” ahead of him after being confirmed as Aston Villa’s new manager on Wednesday.

Houllier has quit his role as technical director with the French Football Federation to become Martin O’Neill’s successor at Villa Park after the Northern Irishman sensationally quit the club just days before the Premier League season began.

The Frenchman will take charge of Villa for the first time in Monday’s Barclays Premier League clash at Stoke.

Full Time Result betting now has Villa at 2.87 to get the away win, while Stoke can be backed at 2.50 with the draw 3.25.

Houllier is returning to the Premier League after a six-year absence from the English game since parting company with Liverpool.

He suffered health problems during his latter days at Anfield but is now fully focused on the task of building on the success brought to Villa by O’Neill.

Houllier said: “I am very happy and proud to join this great and historic club.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to leave the FFF French Football Federation.

“But I could not turn down the opportunity to manage a club whose approach, both on and off the pitch, I have long admired.

“Aston Villa is one of England’s biggest clubs and has an amazing set of fans.

“This is a tremendous challenge and one I am very much looking forward to taking on.”

Houllier has still to name his assistant manager after Phil Thompson rejected the opportunity after being his number two at Liverpool.

Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner has no doubt Houllier possesses the qualities and experience needed at the Midland club.

He said: “We identified two key qualities as being of crucial importance in our search for the new manager.

“They were experience of managing in the Premier League and a strategy for building on the existing strengths in our current squad.

“Gerard Houllier comfortably satisfies these criteria.

“In fact, he stands out as a football man who understands the ethos of our club and shares our core values.”

Faulkner has urged Villa’s fans to give their full backing to 63-year-old Houllier.

He said: “We look forward to working with Gerard and supporting him.

“We ask our supporters to get behind the new manager and the team as we look to build on the progress we have made over the past four years in all areas of the club.”

Houllier becomes Villa’s 25th manager in their 126-year history and only their second foreign manager after the Czech Jozef Venglos who was in charge for one season twenty years ago.

He enjoyed success at Lens, Paris St Germain and Lyon in addition to Liverpool whom he steered to a UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup treble in 2001.

He had two spells as technical director of the FFF and in the first one was a key component in his country winning the 1998 World Cup.

Aston Villa are now 11.00 to finish in the top four of the Barclays Premier League 2010/11.

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Premier League outfit Arsenal will today assess the extent of Theo Walcott’s ankle injury, which could sideline the England winger for the rest of September.

Walcott had been in fine form for the Gunners, scoring four goals in three games before the international break.

However, the 21-year-old – recalled by Fabio Capello after being left out of his ill-fated World Cup squad – was taken to hospital last night for precautionary X-rays after turning his ankle in the build-up to Wayne Rooney’s opening goal in the 3-1 Euro 2012 qualifying win over Switzerland in Basle.

Initial fears of a break were dismissed by Capello after the match, suggesting the player felt the injury was “not a big problem”.

However, even if it is just a bad sprain with no torn ligaments, then Walcott – who has a history of niggling injury setbacks – is almost certain to miss Saturday’s Barclays Premier League visit of Bolton as well as the Champions League opener against Braga.

Betting for Arsenal’s Premier League clash has the gunners at 1.25 to get the home win, with Bolton 13.00 and the draw available at 5.50.

Full Time Result betting for the European clash with Braga on Wednesday 15th September has Arsenal at 1.30 to win in 90 minutes, with Braga 9.00 and the draw 4.75.

Walcott would be unlikely to be risked in the Carling Cup clash at rivals Tottenham, and may have to sit out the trip to Partizan Belgrade – but if all goes well could be fully match fit in time to face title rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 3rd October.

The loss of Walcott is another blow to Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, who has seen Holland striker Robin van Persie sidelined until the middle of October with an ankle problem.

With Nicklas Bendtner also unavailable due to a groin injury, summer signing Marouane Chamakh looks set to lead the line for the next few weeks.

Midfielder Samir Nasri is recovering well from knee surgery, while defender Sebastien Squillaci made his first appearance for Arsenal following a move from Sevilla in the reserves’ win over Blackburn at Underhill and could make his Premier League debut this weekend.

Arsenal are currently 6.00 to win the Barclays Premier League 2010/11

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